thebattalion ● tuesday,
ENGINE COUNTING
“Whenever you hear the train going by, you put up a number to see how many engines are on it and then you see if you get it right or wrong and it’s fun.”
february 18, 2014
● serving
SHADES ON SIX
“Throughout the sixth inning, we wear our sunglasses because we believe it’s the most dangerous inning of the game.”
texas a&m since 1893
● first paper free – additional copies $1 ● © 2014 student media
FIRST INNING WOLVES
“Between the top and bottom of the first inning, we do a head bang thing to the wolf pack soundtrack from back in the ’90s.”
BOOSTING THE PLAYERS
“We have different motions and dances for different players. Cole Lankford, whenever he came out, I’d yell, ‘What’s cooler than cool? Ice Cole.’”
sports | 2 The loudest, the proudest Section 203 regulars say they were drawn to Olsen Field for its quirks, traditions and intimacy.
HELLO!
ROOF HIT JINGLES
“If someone is talking on their cell phone in the student section, everyone around them says, ‘Hello,’ really loudly so they can’t hear the person they’re talking to.”
BETWEEN INNINGS
“If somebody walks up or down the aisles during the inning, you will most likely get yelled at and they’ll yell, ‘Between innings,’ to tell you not to walk around during an inning and block somebody’s view.”
“Anytime a ball gets popped [and] hits the overhang covering where we’re sitting, we yell, ‘Ow,’ and shout the jingle of the Schulte roofing company.”
PAT HIS BUTT
“Whenever a coach is giving a pep talk to one of the players he pats his butt so we will yell, ‘Pat his butt,’ at him.”
9TH INNING HOPE
“At the top or bottom of the ninth, whether we’re winning or losing, we stand for the rest of the game and hope for an Aggie win.”
BACK IN THE BOX
“The first base coach has a box he’s supposed to stand in but he never does, so we always yell at him to get back in the box.”
Quotes provided by Rob White, Darcy Jacoby and Shelby Hanner; Graphics by William Guerra — THE BATTALION
Quad arches get new adornment
Lindsey Gawlik — THE BATTALION
The UAS pictured above is being tested by researchers as designated by the Federal Aviation Administration.
research
A&M jets to forefront of UAS studies B-CS home to unmanned aircraft tests Lindsey Gawlik
The Battalion exas A&M is one of six Texas universities selected by the Federal Aviation Administration to operate Unmanned Air Systems, also known as UAS, on testing sites throughout the state. These systems, which are often mistakenly called drones, will be used for commercial road inspection and agriculture. UAS can be used for scanning crops to look for diseases, checking bridges and infrastructures for cracks, taking medical supplies and food to disaster areas and using cameras to track vehicles. The testing will focus both on ensuring safety and that UAS act in predictable ways around people and in different circumstances and weather conditions and will move
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toward refining the systems from being unmanned to autonomous around various environments, said John Valasek, head aerospace engineering professor for the project and director for the Center for Autonomous Vehicles and Sensor Systems, also known as CANVAS. Such autonomous flight entails UASs flying via communication between a small computer inside of it and a ground computer that sends directional commands through radio signals. Sensors and cameras on the UAS are key to this communication. Valasek said the Texas A&M research team consists of about 10 people at a time and includes both undergraduate and graduate aerospace engineering students. Valasek said he is also looking for students who will be available to work on the project over the summer, one of the busiest testing See UAS on page 5
John Benson — THE BATTALION
Ben Butler, freshman mechanical engineering major, and Mark Williamson, freshman petroleum engineering major, walk toward the new letters installed in the Quad that read, “Texas A&M Corps of Cadets.” The phrase, “We make leaders,” decorates the opposite side.
judaism
Trek ties together present, past Birthright trip opens Aggies up to Israel Allison Rubenak The Battalion
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wo Jewish philanthropists, Charles Bronfman and Michael Steinhardt, once envisioned a program where young Jews would have the opportunity to explore and regain a connection to their ancestral past. In 1999, they realized this vision with the creation of what is now known as Taglit Birthright Israel, which offers the experience of a free trip to Israel. Rabbi Matt Rosenberg of Texas A&M Hillel said there are 15 to 20 different providers of the trip and it
occurs twice a year, with applications for the May trip opening soon. “It has been found to be one of the biggest and most important aspects of the Jewish experience for young people,” Rosenberg said. “It can be a meaningful experience. It’s 10 days and includes the Old City [Jerusalem], the Western Wall, Tel Aviv, Holocaust museum, Independence Hall.” Rosenberg said the birthright trip to Israel is a gift that provides individuals between the ages of 18 and 26, the chance to better identify with their Jewish culture, religion and faith. According to the Taglit Birthright Israel website, more than See Birthright on page 3
PROVIDED
Emily Schneider and Jonathan Rahmani stand in the Negev desert, located in the southern region of Isreal, while on their birthright trip in 2013.
2/17/14 9:55 PM